Cornell and Foley understand fans’ frustrations but call for backing in big County clash

Sam Foley and David Cornell have pleaded with the Cobblers supporters to put the team’s stuttering start to the season to one side and do their bit to roar them to victory in their crucial Sky Bet League Two clash with rock-bottom Notts County on Saturday.

The Cobblers players are well aware that many of the Town faithful are not happy after a poor start to the campaign, with Dean Austin’s team failing to win any of their five matches at the PTS Academy Stadium to date.

Sam Foley

The Cobblers find themselves fifth bottom in league two, with just one win to their name, and on Saturday they host a Magpies side in even worse shape, having claimed just two points from their eight matches.

Kevin Nolan led County to the play-offs last season, but he paid for their slow start with his job and new manager Harry Kewell has yet to have the desired impact, although the team did stop a rot of six straight defeats to claim a 3-3 home draw with Stevenage at the weekend.

Town could and should have won their first three league games at home this season, losing to Lincoln and drawing with Cambridge and Tranmere, but their most recent performance at the PTS was the dismal 3-1 defeat to Cheltenham Town and the team was booed off at the end, and that was followed by Saturday’s 2-0 loss at Port Vale to deepen the gloom.

Foley is well aware the players have to quickly start performing at home, but he has pleaded with the supporters to stick with the team.

David Cornell

The Cobblers have won just once at home since January (the 2-0 victory over Plymouth in April), and asked if playing at home was becoming an issue for the Cobblers, Foley said: “Not for me.

“I can’t speak for the other players but historically, football has been hard for Northampton Town over the past two-and-a-half years.

“As a place as a whole, we need the fans to try and get behind us at Sixfields and try and make it into a tough place.

“We just need them to get behind the lads, that’s all we can ask for, and they can help us.

“The boys are giving everything, their effort levels are through the roof every Saturday and during the week in training.

“At home, if we can try and get that first goal to start with and build from there, and with the quality we have, we can go on,

“The players are going to be very disappointed from this weekend, but there is going to be a reaction.”

He admitted the fans were within their rights to ‘hammer’ the players after slumping at Port Vale, and says he and his team-mates have to ‘give them something back’, but he wants a ‘positive vibe’ around the PTS this weekend.

“It is a big game, the biggest of the season so far, and we need to turn up at home and give the supporters something to shout about,” said Cornell, who has started every league game so far this season.

“Saturday was disappointing and frustrating, but fair play to all the supporters that turned out, and they deserved to hammer us after the game I thought.

“But when we turn out now on Saturday we need to put on a good performance and take the three points.

And he added: “We need their support. We hear them, and they do make the difference at times, but at the same time we need to give them something back.

“We are all in this together, the fans, the players, the staff, everyone, and we need to have that positive vibe with everybody pushing together.”

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